Jump up ↑ "Is that what I think it is?! Look at this! I don't believe it, but I actually caught one! This delicacy is known to have very, very potent effects under the proper circumstances. Ta-da! Research from the castle shows ingesting one of these can actually augment certain abilities. We wouldn't be in a controlled environment out here, and with your level of physical fitness...you'd be a perfect candidate for the study! Go on! Taste it!" — Zelda (Breath of the Wild)
Although not the first game to be released outside of Japan, Final Fantasy VII was the first overseas to popularize the series, and the JRPG genre.[5][6] Although the game is still the best-selling game in the series, with over 11 million units sold between its original release and subsequent re-releases,[7] the series has continued to find financial success since and has become the company's best-selling franchise worldwide.[2]
The series has received criticism for many other aspects. Many have found the menu-based combat system and its use of random encounters to be a turnoff, or an outdated annoyance,[54][55] with IGN stating the the use of random encounters "need[ed] to change".[56] The series' minigames have been divisive and often come under fire as weaker aspects[57][58][59] (although minigames have received praise in other regard[60]). Finally, many direct sequels in the series have been poorly received and believed to be worse than the original titles.[61][62][63]
In 1994, near the end of the Famicom's lifespan, the original Famicom game was re-released in cartridge format.[60] A modified version, BS Zelda no Densetsu, was released for the Super Famicom's satellite-based expansion, Satellaview, on August 6, 1995, in Japan. A second Satellaview game, BS Zelda no Densetsu MAP2 was released for the Satellaview on December 30, 1995. Both games featured rearranged dungeons, an altered overworld, and new voice-acted plot-lines.[61]

The majority of the games are stand-alone stories with unique characters, scenarios and settings, though several spin-offs and sequels to main series games continue stories within the same worlds. The series is defined by its recurring gameplay mechanics, themes and features. Commonly recurring features include the series' "mascot" creature, chocobos, that are often used as steeds; a character named Cid who is usually associated with engineering; moogles, cute flying creatures that often aid the player by facilitating some of the game mechanics; the mythology-based summoned creatures that can be called forth to aid players in battle and also commonly battled as bosses; the job system where playable characters are defined by their job class; and the active time battle system, an evolution of the classic turn-based system common for JRPGs where the units' speed determines how many actions they can take.

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) also featured three installments of the main series, all of which have been re-released on several platforms. Final Fantasy IV was released in 1991; in North America, it was released as Final Fantasy II.[7][8] It introduced the "Active Time Battle" system.[9] Final Fantasy V, released in 1992 in Japan, was the first game in the series to spawn a sequel: a short anime series, Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals.[3][10][11] Final Fantasy VI was released in Japan in 1994, titled Final Fantasy III in North America.[12]
Significant portions of this product require (i) an internet connection and (ii) an Xbox Live or PlayStation Network account (if playing on an Xbox One or PlayStation®4, respectively). Multiplayer features of this product require (i) a persistent internet connection and (ii) an Xbox Live Gold or PS Plus account (if playing on a Xbox One or PlayStation®4 respectively). Third-party accounts may require payment of additional fees.
In The Minish Cap, Princess Zelda is known to sneak out of the castle to visit her good childhood friend, Link.[57] At the beginning of the game, Link and Zelda head together towards the Picori Festival in Hyrule Castle Town.[58] A catastrophe occurs when the evil wind mage, Vaati, appears and turns Zelda to stone, breaking the Picori Blade in the process. Link fuses the four elements to transform the blade into the Four Sword to reverse Vaati's spell. When Link saves Princess Zelda atop the roof of Hyrule Castle where she was being imprisoned by Vaati to steal the Light Force within her, she reveals to Link that she saw visions of him, as if in a dream.[59] However, soon after this, the castle begins to collapse.[60] As Link and Zelda head towards the Elemental Sanctuary, Vaati appears again and is subsequently defeated by Link. The Mage's Cap falls down and Ezlo, now a Minish again, urges Princess Zelda to make a wish. Princess Zelda thus wishes for Hyrule to return to its usual, peaceful state, making all the monsters disappear and returning its people back to normal.[61]
For the first time (not counting the non-canonical Phillips CD-i games), it is possible to play as Zelda herself as Link aids the princess to escape the castle. Afterward, Link, Zelda, and Alfonzo attempt to escape via train, but the train crashes due to the tracks disappearing beneath them. Chancellor Cole then appears to attack Zelda and take her body, which he hopes to use to revive the Demon King Malladus; however, Zelda's spirit escapes and returns to Hyrule Castle. There, she meets with Link, now the only one who can see her, to continue their way to the Tower of Spirits, where Zelda learns she can inhabit Phantoms to aid Link. After this, she and Link begin their journey to restore the Spirit Tracks leading to the Tower of Spirits to fortify the Malladus's prison and thus prevent the resurrection of the Demon King.[127]
Nintendo 3DS Mario Kart 7, released in 2011 for the Nintendo 3DS, features optional 3D stereoscopic graphics and can be played using the console's gyroscope, which allows players to race in first-person and steer vehicles simply by turning the game system. Other features unseen in previous installments include the ability to build customizable vehicles with unlockable parts such as frames or tires; retractable hang gliders, which allow players to glide through the air, skipping over parts of the track or locating new routes/shortcuts that are otherwise inaccessible; fully submersible karts; and segments of tracks that are completely underwater. The game features 4 new characters: Metal Mario, Lakitu, Wiggler, and Honey Queen. This is also the first Mario Kart game where Shy Guy can be played as without playing in multiplayer mode. The player can play online via Nintendo Network, participating in races or battles with up to seven other players, and exchange game data with other Nintendo 3DS consoles. Two of the new courses are set on Wuhu Island from the non-Mario game series Wii Fit.
The game introduces the double gear system. Using the shoulder buttons the player is able to activate either the power gear or the speed gear. The power gear makes your shots more powerful and the speed gear slows down enemies. You can only use each of these temporarily, because they'll over heat if you leave them active for too long. If this happens the double gear will will have to recharge before it can be used again. The game is perfectly designed so that you could make do without them, but it will push you to use these systems a lot. Some enemies are easier to dispatch with the speed gear, and most boss fights are made easier with the power gear. It seems gimmicky at first and upon first playing the game you'll often forget you have them, but once you settle in you'll find yourself using these systems more and more as you encounter hazards in levels that will encourage you to do so. There's another added benefit of the double gear system. When critically low on health you can press both shoulders at the same time to activate both the speed gear and power gear simultaneously. It's mostly a last ditch effort when low on health, and you can't actually turn this off, meaning your double gear will have to recharge without fail after its use, but it can help you out in a moment of desperation.
Following the release of The Wind Waker came The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition, which included the original The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and a demo of The Wind Waker. GameSpot noted that Majora's Mask suffered from a frame rate which appeared choppier and inconsistencies in the audio.[83] This compilation was never sold commercially, and originally could only be obtained by purchasing a GameCube bundled with the disc[84][85] (in North America, Europe and Australia), by registering a GameCube and two games at Nintendo.com,[84] or by subscribing or renewing a subscription to Nintendo Power (in North America) or Club Nintendo in Sweden.[84] In the UK, 1000 copies were made available through the Club Nintendo Stars Catalogue program.[85] After these were quickly claimed, Nintendo gave a copy to customers who mailed in proof of purchases from select GameCube games.[85]

Since the original The Legend of Zelda was released in 1986, the series has expanded to include 19 entries on all of Nintendo's major game consoles, as well as a number of spin-offs. An American animated TV series based on the games aired in 1989 and individual manga adaptations commissioned by Nintendo have been produced in Japan since 1997. The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo's most prominent and successful franchises, selling over 80 million copies as of 2017; many of its games are considered by critics to be among the greatest video games of all time.

Despite the many years since the last new release in the series, various characters from the Legends series consistently appear in Capcom cross-over games such as Marvel vs. Capcom, and the Servbot characters have become iconic within the Capcom community, making many cameo appearances in non-Mega Man games, including Dead Rising and as part of the outfit obtained via achievements in Lost Planet 2.

In the year 20XX, ancient ruins suddenly appeared in the Amazon Rainforest in South America. The United Nations called scientists around the world to discover everything possible about the ruins. The scientists discovered that there was a strong eletromagnetic field around the ruins that was capable of ceasing almost all the machinery that got close to it, including robots. Nothing electronic could reach it, making the investigation a difficult one. One year later, the U.N. ceased the investigation, claiming the ruins were from the Maya civilization. They named the ruins "Lanfront Ruins" and the pyramid "Temple of Moon".

Initially, the player assumes control as Zelda, although it is possible to start a round as Sheik by holding down the A button following selection of a stage until the round begins. Zelda is somewhat slow but is rather graceful and agile, and her special attacks, if they connect, are extremely powerful—boosted by magic, if the sparkles and flashes of light are any indication. Her aerial movements and dodging skill, as well as her attacks' high priority and strong impact, make her an ideal counter-defensive character. She is very much built for defensive attacking, but her moves leave her very open if timed incorrectly, and if attacked, her gracefulness can work against her. She has a light frame and is easily sent flying.
Princess Zelda, as a member of the bloodline that carries and protects the Triforce of Wisdom, broke the Triforce piece into eight fragments and hid them throughout the realm in an effort to avoid its possession under Ganon's hand.[21] At the same time, she sent out her handmaiden, Impa, to look for a hero to save the land.[94] Ganon learned of what Zelda had done and imprisoned her within his lair under Death Mountain, surrounded by a wall of flame.[95]
Zelda then took the Master Sword to the Great Deku Tree in Korok Forest, considering it a safe place for the blade to rest for the next century though noted while Link would likely lose his memories as a result of the Slumber of Restoration she was certain the blade would reunite with its "master". Zelda tried to get the tree deity to relay a message he politely refused advising her it would sound better in her voice which Zelda took as a complement before placing the sword in its pedestal. After saying her goodbye to the tree, Zelda then left and returned to Hyrule Castle, where she used her powers to seal Calamity Ganon, and herself, away for the next one hundred years. This halted her aging while she was sealed.
A reader brought to my attention this translation of an interview between one of the developers of the original Mega Man games (“A.K” in the credits) and one of the (probably more well-known) artists for some of the Rockman manga (he did Megamix, among many others). What I find amusing about this arrangement is ordinarily you would expect both of these men to be interviewed, rather than one of them interviewing the other.
It's just okay. The new fully real-time battle system is interesting and even entertaining as long as you don't have like ten enemies swarming you, making it nigh-impossible to make sense of the situation with like five enemies coming in to parry. Wait Mode does help with this, but it feels a little awkward as whenever you stop moving, the screen freezes so you can plan your action, which breaks the flow of combat if it wasn't needed at that moment.
…which is nothing compared to how online play is like. I will admit that I have seen some pretty nasty moves that other players have pulled like people in lower places firing behind them a lot even though they are clearly in range of the racers ahead of them. Other instances where racers shoot each other a lot can end up giving first place an even bigger lead due to constant sabotage. I have ran into some instances where I was hit more times than the AI does in a single race. You could be doing so well and be on the final stretch when a blue shell appears and blows you up, then end up getting hit by other players so many times, that you end up in last place.
In Breath of the Wild, most people seem to be aware of Princess Zelda's role in sealing the Great Calamity in Hyrule Castle one hundred years prior. However, it is unclear whether they know that she is still fighting to keep him sealed. One of the travelers Link encounters during his travels is a Hylian woman who is retracing Zelda's journey to the three springs. Moreover, Zelda was spoken of by people who knew her to their descendants, as Toffa reveals his grandfather told him about the Princess and her white horse during "The Royal White Stallion", and inherited from him the Royal Bridle and Royal Saddle which were once used by Princess Zelda one century ago. After completing the quest, Toffa states that his grandfather claimed there was nothing more beautiful than the sight of Princess Zelda riding her horse.
As the series progressed, various other player characters have appeared, such as fellow Maverick Hunter Zero who was created by Dr. Wily of the Classic series, OVER-1, created jointly by Dr. Light and Dr. Cossack, and Axl, a Reploid with an adolescent personality who has the ability to shape-shift into other Reploids. Zero would later star in his own spin-off series, Mega Man Zero.

Of the two gears available, the obvious standout is “Speed,” which allows you to slow down the world for brief but critical periods at the touch of a button. It would be hard to overstate how much this simple addition changes the feel of the game’s levels—an otherwise well-crafted, but not especially notable, collection of interesting gimmicks and corridors filled with the customary assortment of spikes and pits. The Mega Man formula typically stacks a horde of fast-moving, relatively fragile enemies against your hero, an aggressive, screen-clearing powerhouse who blasts them away to clear his path. By making Mega Man the most maneuverable thing in the equation, it inverts the basic question these games have been asking for 30 years, changing it from “How do I eliminate the obstacles in my way?” to “How do I elegantly weave my way through this situation in the fleetest, most stylish way possible?” Don’t want to deal with an awkwardly placed turret? Slow down time and navigate around it. An enemy leaps at you? Smack the Speed button, slide under them as they drift lazily over your head, and get on with your day. It’s empowering stuff, in a way that yet another flashy gun or attachment for your robot dog couldn’t match. The Speed gear’s mate, the Power gear, is far less of a game-changer, simply boosting your damage output and tweaking your special weapons, but it does force you to balance a shared heat gauge to keep either of the pair from burning out. And if that feels too restrictive, there’s also a low-key upgrade system on hand to ease the pressure and keep a careful player in bullet time as often as not. The game’s later levels push even this upgraded slowdown ability to its limits, but it never takes the full plunge into masochistic demands for perfect, precise play.

None of the Robot Master weapons from Mega Man 5, Mega Man 10, Mega Man & Bass, or Mega Man V are included in Mega Man's arsenal, even though there is at least one weapon used from every other Mega Man game from 1-9, although the Black Hole Bomb from Mega Man 9 appears briefly during his Final Smash. Beat from Mega Man 5 also appears as a custom up special move.

@ryancraddock With Switch, compared to other systems the physical versus digital matter is a lot more significant since there's very limited space for games at high cost, digitally, one has to be choosy with digital acquisitions. Ultimately physical buyers are going to be able to buy a lot more games. And WoFF is a relatively large game in terms of SD usage.
The Mario Kart series has spawned a range of merchandise over the years. Scalextric produced a slot car racer set based on Mario Kart DS, including figures based on Mario, Donkey Kong, Wario, and Luigi. A line of radio-controlled karts has also appeared based on the series, featuring Mario, Donkey Kong, and Yoshi, controlled by Game Boy Advance-shaped controllers. Mario Kart 64 has been promoted with figures of Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Wario, and Bowser made by Toybiz; and another figurine line featuring all eight player-characters available only in Japan. There is also a line of "Sound Drops" inspired by Mario Kart Wii featuring eight of the game's sound effects, and a land-line telephone featuring Mario holding a lightning bolt while seated in his kart.
Several months after the events of Mega Man IV, Rock and Roll are strolling through a grassy field, when suddenly, they are confronted by a mysterious new robot who calls himself Terra. Mega Man attempts to fight Terra, only to find that his Mega Buster arm cannon has no effect on this new powerful enemy. Mega Man is knocked unconscious, and two groups of powerful robots calling themselves the "Stardroids" attack Earth, causing destruction around the globe. Waking up in Dr. Light's laboratory, Mega Man is presented with the new and powerful Mega Arm to help him fight the Stardroids in his newest mission to save the planet. Upon defeating 4 of the 8 Stardroids, Mega Man confronts Terra, only to discover it was a trap that Terra set up, forcing Mega Man to fight Dark Moon.
Dr. Wily once again sets his sights on world domination. This time, he revives several of his Robot Masters based on those of Light's designs, giving them another chance to do battle with Mega Man. Four Robot Masters rampage across the globe, so Dr. Light sends Mega Man out to stop them. Once they are taken down, Mega Man heads to Wily's fortress only to discover that four more Robot Masters await him there. To make matters worse, Dr. Wily has constructed a new powerful robot, a Mega Man Killer known as Enker. Enker has the ability to absorb Mega Man's shots with his lance and return a powerful blast of energy at him with his Mirror Buster; however, Enker is defeated, and Mega Man chases Wily to the Wily Station, using Enker's own Mirror Buster to defeat him.
Dr. Wily once again sets his sights on world domination. This time, he revives several of his Robot Masters based on those of Light's designs, giving them another chance to do battle with Mega Man. Four Robot Masters rampage across the globe, so Dr. Light sends Mega Man out to stop them. Once they are taken down, Mega Man heads to Wily's fortress only to discover that four more Robot Masters await him there. To make matters worse, Dr. Wily has constructed a new powerful robot, a Mega Man Killer known as Enker. Enker has the ability to absorb Mega Man's shots with his lance and return a powerful blast of energy at him with his Mirror Buster; however, Enker is defeated, and Mega Man chases Wily to the Wily Station, using Enker's own Mirror Buster to defeat him.
After a five-year hiatus, the series made the transition to 3D with Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64, which was released in November 1998. This game, initially known as Zelda 64, retains the core gameplay of the previous 2D games, and was very successful commercially and critically. It is considered by many critics and gamers to be the best video game of all time, and ranks highly on IGN and EGM's "greatest games of all time" lists, as well as scoring perfect scores in several video game publications.[62] In February 2006, it was ranked by Nintendo Power as the best game released for a Nintendo console.[63] The game was originally developed for the poorly selling, Japanese-only Nintendo 64DD, but was ported to cartridge format when the 64DD hardware was delayed.[64] A new gameplay mechanic, lock-on targeting (called "Z-targeting" as that is the controller button used), is used in the game, which focuses the camera on a nearby target and alters the player's actions relative to that target.[65] Such mechanics allow precise sword fighting in a 3D space. The game heavily uses context-sensitive button play, which enabled the player to control various actions with Link using only one button on the Nintendo 64's game pad. Each action was handled slightly differently but all used the 'A' button to perform. For instance, standing next to a block and pressing 'A' made Link grab it (enabling him to push/pull it), but moving forwards into a block and pressing 'A' allowed Link to climb the block. The 'B' button was used only as an attack button. The game featured the first appearance of Link's horse, Epona, allowing Link to travel quickly across land and fire arrows from horseback. Those who preordered the game received a gold-coloured cartridge in a limited edition box with a golden plastic card affixed, reading "Collector's Edition".[66] In some stores that had this "Collector's Edition" quickly sell out, a small and rare Zelda pin was given instead. It is the sword and shield emblem with "Zelda" written on it. Very few of them are known to remain.
The series affected Square's business on several levels. The commercial failure of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within resulted in hesitation and delays from Enix during merger discussions with Square.[47][94] Square's decision to produce games exclusively for the Sony PlayStation—a move followed by Enix's decision with the Dragon Quest series—severed their relationship with Nintendo.[3][116] Final Fantasy games were absent from Nintendo consoles, specifically the Nintendo 64, for seven years.[100][117] Critics attribute the switch of strong third-party games like the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games to Sony's PlayStation, and away from the Nintendo 64, as one of the reasons behind PlayStation being the more successful of the two consoles.[3][116][120] The release of the Nintendo GameCube, which used optical disc media, in 2001 caught the attention of Square. To produce games for the system, Square created the shell company The Game Designers Studio and released Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, which spawned its own metaseries within the main franchise.[38] Final Fantasy XI's lack of an online method of subscription cancellation prompted the creation of legislation in Illinois that requires internet gaming services to provide such a method to the state's residents.[206]
Kameme - Widely recognized as the best Mega Man player in the world. He is the 13th player to take a set off of ZeRo while taking sets off of players such as MkLeo, Salem, KEN, and Ally. Placed 2nd at EVO 2016, 3rd at EVO Japan 2018, and 9th at Frostbite 2017, 2GGC: ARMS Saga, and 2GG: Hyrule Saga. He is currently 24th on Panda Global Rankings v5 and 4th on the JAPAN Power Rankings.
Guinness World Records listed 6 records set by the Mario Kart series, including "First Console Kart Racing Game", "Best Selling Racing Game" and "Longest Running Kart Racing Franchise". Guinness World Records ranked the original Super Mario Kart number 1 on the list of top 50 console games of all time based on initial impact and lasting legacy.[13]